Payback
by TheseAreSuperOld
Summary: Three years have passed since Lily, James, and Remus died. Voldemort's wraith has been in Ministry custody since then, but that's not enough for Severus. Sequel to FFNMW. Ch 17 up! Another Horcrux? R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Payback**

_A/N:First chapter of the sequel! I'm excited. Anyone else excited? Basically… Severus gets revenge. Read and review!_

Three years had passed since Lily's death.

The world had dulled since then for Severus.

Harry was growing up happily with Sirius, whom Severus suspected would have been broken if it wasn't for Harry.

James was dead.

Lily was dead.

Remus was dead.

And Voldemort still lived.

It sickened Severus to think of that. He took comfort in the fact that while Voldemort was alive, he was no more than a wraith, and therefore couldn't do much of anything. The bastard couldn't even eat or piss himself without a body to inhabit.

It had completely dumbfounded even Nicolas Flamel as to how old Moldy-wart could feel a need to relieve himself without a body, or how pissing through another body emptied his bladder, but it did, so the Ministry allowed in one Engorged but completely harmless grass snake into Voldemort's cage-like confinement every three days. The poor things died after only a day of sharing their bodies with Voldemort, but there were too many snakes out there anyway. Might as well stamp out the lot while you could.

Three years of this miserable existence, and finally the old coot quit trying to bar Severus' way to the destruction of the wraith.

Three years of doing everything he could to avenge Lily, and Dumbledore pretended the prophecy dictated everything.

Severus spat on the ground contemptuously, glad he didn't work at Hogwarts anymore. It was much too painful to stay where he and Lily had grown so close, so he left six months after Lily's death and brewed complex potions for the Ministry and whoever else wanted to pay for it.

Ah, the life of a freelance Potions Master.

He stalked around the living room of Spinner's End, pausing to look at a small picture of himself and Lily, celebrating Christmas at Hogwarts their first year. His lips twitched slightly before the familiar tug on his heart forced him to tear his eyes away. Severus sank into a saggy chair and picked up a Potions journal to take his mind off of his loss.

Their loss.

Poor Harry.

Poor Sirius.

_**New Potion Promises Normal Life for Lycanthropes!**_Severus threw the paper down in disgust.

Three years too late.

At least.

Severus could have brewed that next to no charge for Remus. He was the trustworthy one in the end, after all.

It had only taken Severus three days to track down Pettigrew. He'd made sure the rat died a horrible death.

Severus decided to see Voldemort, and try once again to get information out of the wraith-man.

"Nothing! I'll never tell you anything, you traitor!" the mist hissed. Severus towered over the wraith haughtily, looking down at Voldemort over his hooked nose through the spelled glass separating the two. A snake slid into the containment room slowly and sinuously. The wraith-man descended upon it quickly and Severus watched, fascinated. In three years, he'd never bothered to see Voldemort on a "snake day".

The snake convulsed for a moment as the mist seeped into its skin. The snake's eyes turned blood red and immediately the Voldemort-snake made its way to a bin of mice, feeding hungrily.

The snake-man stared straight at Severus fleetingly, and Severus had not felt the normal resistance of Occlumency.

Thrilled, Severus realized the snake-brain simplified Voldemort's mind and thought-processes enough to weaken the wraith's Occlumency shields considerably. Maybe Severus could finally figure out how Voldemort was still alive!

Wand out, Severus called the Ministry guard over. "Let me in," he hissed.

"But, Master Snape, You-Know-Who is classified as highly dangerous-" the Ministry official began before Severus cut him off with an angry hiss.

"Listen, man, that thing in there killed the only woman I ever loved. Either you let me in, or I shall Stupefy you and force my way in," Severus growled, his wand sparking intermittently. The shorter man let out a small, embarrassing squeak as he unlocked the door and stepped back.

Severus strode into the containment and shut the heavy door behind him. The snake looked up from its dinner and hissed angrily. Defiantly, Severus grabbed the snake's tail and pulled it towards him as the snake struggled to get away from his grasp. Reaching for its head, Severus forced the snake-man's eyes to meet his own unblinkingly.

"Perfect," Severus said maliciously as he tried to get the snake under control. "Snakes can't blink. _Legilimens!_"

Instantly Severus was bombarded with images of greenery and scared, crying children. Angrily he realized Voldemort had forced the snake's mind up before his own, and Severus cast aside the unimportant memories as forcefully as he could. The snake twitched horrendously as he delved deeper, trying his hardest to reach Voldemort's mind.

There!

Images of torture and the smell of burning corpses permeated the appalling memories. For a fleeting second he saw Rodolphus Lestrange crying over Bella's body and Voldemort had even wiped away a rare tear. More images of screaming, tortured people… Death Eaters laughing raucously as a Muggle's house went up in flames and the inhabitants screamed as they burned to death…

And, oddly, an image of a slightly battered red diary appeared. Before Severus could determine whether or not this was important, a loud mental snarl sounded and Severus felt himself pushed out of the thing's mind. His eyes focused on the snake, which was strangely limp in his hands.

Horrified, Severus realized Voldemort was coming out of the snake. He screamed and fell to his knees as the vengeful mist snaked its way out of the weakened grass snake and seeped into his own body. Severus' nerves were on fire and he valiantly fought the urge to scratch at his skin and eyes, knowing it would do no good.

_"Your filthy Mudblood girl is dead, Severussss… and I still live. How DARE you enter my mind? You shall pay…. Oh yessss… I find this body suitssss me quite well…._"

Severus cried out again, cursing the incompetent guard who had yet to come into the room. With a loud bang, the door swung open and Albus Dumbledore swept in, his eyes blazing.

"_Spectralis repellio!_" Dumbledore boomed, pointing his wand at Severus, who was rolling on the ground in agony. Voldemort screamed in his mind and the horrid wraith flew out of Severus and back into the snake. Hurriedly, Dumbledore grabbed a limp Severus under the arms and dragged him out of the containment room as the dazed snake-Voldemort came to his senses.

Severus, who was coming in and out of consciousness, was barely aware of going through the Floo with Dumbledore to Hogwarts. The Headmaster looked livid as he Levitated Severus down to the hospital wing and informed Poppy Pomfrey what had happened.

As Severus sank into a comfortable bed, he remembered the diary and Voldemort's anger once he'd reached that particular nugget of information.

"…Blasted young man thinks he can do anything….lucky I arrived when I did…could have died…" he heard Dumbledore ranting. Severus suddenly wished to sleep for days… hopefully Dumbledore would be a little more forgiving then.


	2. Alliance

**Alliance**

_A/N: Sorry it took so long. I had a second midterm in calculus... yeah... so I spent this entire week studying. That said, read and review!_

Severus awoke groggily, squinting his eyes against the bright sun. His fuzzy mind registered he was not at Spinner's End, which thoroughly confused him for a moment. Gradually, the events prior returned, and Severus let out a relieved sigh knowing he was the only one inhabiting his body. He shuddered slightly, remembering the white-hot pain Voldemort's presence had caused him.

"Much sooner than I expected, Severus; how wonderful," Madam Pomfrey said distractedly, rushing to a cabinet for nutritive potions. "You've only been out for a day, luckily, but I would still feel much better if you drank this," she said, pushing the mustard yellow potion into his hand. Severus looked at the potion critically and downed it, spluttering against the taste.

"A sprig of peppermint would reduce that horrid taste, Pomfrey," he said, hastily pouring a cup of water from the carafe on the bedside table.

She bustled forward, her mouth tight. "I know, dear; that dratted Potions professor doesn't know what he's doing! I'm terribly sorry about the taste… I do believe I'm going to start brewing my own potions again…" she said, casting several quick diagnostic spells. Satisfied, she brought a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup and instructed Severus to eat it all so the potion wouldn't upset his stomach.

Just as Severus drank the last few drops (he would never admit it, but he missed Hogwarts' food) a very angry Albus Dumbledore burst through the door. Startled, Severus dropped the spoon with a clatter and braced himself for the worst.

"What in Merlin's name were you doing, Severus Snape?" Dumbledore thundered. "You could easily have been killed! Is this how you plan on avenging Lily's memory?"

Feeling as though he'd been slapped, Severus said nothing. His scowl returned and he leaned forward in the bed, shouting back, "This would likely not have happened if you would just let me find out what ties Voldemort to life! The blasted prophecy is not the only way it can end, Albus! You cannot possibly mean you're going to groom the Potter boy for murder! What does THAT do for Lily and James? They did not die so that their son would kill!"

"That doesn't mean you should place yourself in mortal peril!"

"LET ME KILL VOLDEMORT!"

A loud bang sounded, accompanied with a plume of smoke. A fuming Madam Pomfrey appeared as the smoke cleared, her wand pointed threateningly at the headmaster.

"IF YOU DON'T STOP BADGERING MY PATIENT YOU'RE LEAVING! I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE!" she yelled, moving to stand in front of Severus' bed.

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes, but conceded. "Come to my office once you're released, Severus… we shall discuss eliminating that wraith." He turned and stalked out as Severus and Madam Pomfrey both continued to glare. The door slammed shut and Pomfrey let out an explosive breath.

"The nerve of that man!" she huffed, clearing away the dishes. She stood back and looked at Severus pityingly. "Severus… you understand their deaths were not your fault, don't you?"

He snorted. "Had I simply ignored Albus' request… had I not mentioned the prophecy…" he said, trailing off. Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips disapprovingly.

"Had you not done anything, Lily and James would have said something to Peter, and they still would have died. It is not your fault, Severus; the blame lies with Peter Pettigrew… thank Merlin he died in that fire…" she said, pulling his sheets back. At his quizzical look, she said, "I know better than to keep you too long, Severus… and I expect you have some things to discuss with the Headmaster, after all."

Nodding a quick goodbye, Severus made his way to the Headmaster's office. He took a deep breath as he spiraled upwards to the door to compose himself. Hopefully, Dumbledore had calmed down since their…er, discussion.

The door swung open of its own accord and Severus walked in, wary. Dumbledore said nothing but motioned for him to sit on the other side of his grand desk.

"Lemon drop? They're a Muggle candy; I've grown quite fond of them," Dumbledore said calmly, holding a small tin out for Severus. Not wanting to start out on the wrong foot, Severus took one and popped in into his mouth, his lips puckering slightly at the acidic taste. "Now, Severus, what were you doing at the Ministry?"

"I went to see Voldemort. I hoped to gain information on why he's still alive." Severus said, hoping that telling the man everything would garner much-needed help. Dumbledore merely raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, interested.

"And? Did you learn anything?"

Severus shrugged and sat back. "I saw a glimpse of an old battered diary before he pushed me out… it must have been significant; he didn't try so hard to push out until I saw that particular memory."

"Do you think he wrote everything in that notebook?" Dumbledore asked, intrigued.

Severus sighed, "I hope so. Will you help? Will you help me find that diary, and help me bring Voldemort down once and for all?" He looked at Dumbledore steadily, his obsidian eyes burning with determination.

Albus Dumbledore gazed back, his eyes stony and unforgiving. Wordlessly, he stretched out a hand to shake, which Severus took.

"Yes," he said simply. "It is time Tom Riddle paid for his crimes against humanity."


	3. Piece of Cake

**Piece of Cake**

_A/N: Another chapter! And a breakthrough! Already? Yes! Aren't you excited? Thank you bunches for reading and reviewing! Let me know what you think, and suggestions are always welcome! For those who are interested, I believe another chapter to One Crazy Sunday is in order here soon... for the moment, enjoy Payback!_

A month flew by unnoticed by Dumbledore and Severus. Each night, when either wasn't busy, the two were tearing furiously through several books, newspapers, and other media trying to find any mention of a possible Dark side headquarters where the notebook may lie.

This particular night, just as most other nights, Severus was spending the evening in at Spinner's End, checking on his latest commissioned potion every thirty minutes and idly reading back issues of the Daily Prophet. He grunted as he heaved himself out of the old, ratty armchair and walked into his Potions lab, stirring the cauldron's lilac-colored contents twice before reducing the heat slightly and heading back to the old Prophets. Scattered pages littered the floor around the armchair, but he paid the mess no attention.

Just as Severus settled in facing the crackling fireplace, a most unexpected head appeared in his fireplace, coughing from the soot. "Severus! Help me!"

Severus looked back, askance. "M… Malfoy?" The blond man stumbled through the fireplace, unkempt and wandless. Nevertheless, Severus closed the fireplace behind Malfoy and kept his wand trained on the former Death Eater. His eye twitched nervously as his mind raced through any possible schemes Lucius Malfoy might be trying to pull.

The ultrathin man fell to the floor, shaking violently. "The Ministry… they're after me, Severus… Those bloody bastards took Narcissa and my son Draco; Severus, please… Azkaban is no place for Narcissa; you know she's delicate… what do I do? Is there anything I can do? I don't even have a wand; I barely managed to Apparate away!" Lucius paced back and forth, his eyes wild and his normally sleek hair touseled from running his fingers through it in exasperation.

Backing away carefully, Severus pulled a small vial of veritaserum and covertly mixed three drops in a shot of brandy for Lucius. Immediately Lucius downed it, nodding his thanks.

"Why are you really here, Lucius?" Severus asked, seeing the older man's eyes glaze slightly from the effects of the potion.

"To save Narcissa and Draco. I've done horrible things, I know… the Dark Lord was tempting… but there is nothing on this earth more important to me than my family, and I want them back at any cost." Lucius answered, his voice breaking. He searched Severus' mask of indifference for a hopeful sign. "Those Aurors had her under the Imperius curse, trying to get her to say something about saving the Dark Lord… who knows what lengths they will go to… I deserve that, Severus; I deserve a fate exactly like the Longbottoms', but not Narcissa. I don't want my son growing up in a foster home and forgetting us, either. Severus… please…"

Severus was overwhelmed. He had no idea what to do- and just then, a memory came forward.

_" It's DUMBLEDORE! If anyone knows what we can do, he does."__ Lily said, striding forward confidently._

Shaking himself out of his painful reverie, Severus turned to a broken Lucius and extended a hand.

"We may not have much time. Come. Dumbledore may know what to do."

Chin trembling slightly, Lucius took the offered hand and smiled slightly at Severus. Together, they strode out into the high-fenced backyard and Disapparated, appearing in Hogsmeade moments later to a passerby's surprise.

As an afterthought, Severus cast a Disillusionment charm on Lucius and instructed the man to stay quiet and directly behind him. Severus reached back as the two walked through the Hogwarts gates and discreetly grabbed a fistful of the man's robes, incase he should try to run for whatever reason. Thankfully, the castle was relatively quiet, as it was past dinner and most of the students were up in their common rooms by now. Uneventfully the two reached Dumbledore's office, and the gargoyle leapt aside recognizing Severus' trademark sneer-and-stalk combination. The heavy door closed abruptly and Severus heard Malfoy let out a relieved breath- he must have nearly gotten caught in the door, Severus realized.

With a deep breath, he pulled Lucius into Dumbledore's office and removed the Disillusionment charm.

"What is the meaning of this, Severus?" Dumbledore said lightly to cover his shock. Severus noticed the Headmaster had gripped his wand tightly.

"Albus, Lucius' family has been taken by Aurors and he fears for them. He says he saw them put Narcissa under the Imperius curse, and Draco may end up in a foster family." Severus explained as Lucius wrung a bit of his robes in his hands, rocking back and forth slightly as though he needed to pace.

Dumbledore's blue eyes pierced Lucius, and he stopped moving. "You were in Voldemort's inner circle, were you not?" he asked, his voice slightly cold.

"Wh- yes… yes, but Dumbledore… Headmaster… please, I need your help! What if they torture Narcissa for my crimes?" Lucius pleaded, completely losing the famous Malfoy indifference as he looked at Dumbledore with tears in his eyes.

"Were you ever given anything… say, precious… to protect for Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked, a cunning gleam in his eye. "Perhaps a diary? A journal of some sort?"

Lucius nodded emphatically. "Yes, yes, an old battered red one, must be about thirty or forty years old… Please, help me save my family and I swear on my magic you can have it!"

Severus took a step back, startled. How did he never think someone in the inner circle might have been given the task of protecting the diary?

Dumbledore stood gravely, grabbing the small pot of Floo powder on the mantle.

"Let's go save your family then, Lucius."


	4. Step One: Get the Diary

**Step One: Get the Diary**

_A/N: Aww, I had hoped this one would be as popular as FFNMW. Ah well, the true fans stick by this one, right? . I'm a little stuck on how to progress the story towards the other Horcruxes... any ideas? Let me know, I need 'em!_

The three man strode out purposefully and Apparated just outside of the Ministry. Through the elevator ride, Lucius wrung his hands inconsolably as Severus and Albus stared forward stoically. Together, they stepped out into a gloomy-looking dungeon lined with prison cells and burly guards. Severus shuddered slightly, remembering the horrid incident with Voldemort only a few days prior, but forced himself to move forward with the others.

"Lucius!" they heard a desperate voice cry out. Lucius turned quickly and ran to the cell on his right, clinging to the bars as though he could make them disappear.

"Narcissa!" he groaned. The couple grasped hands tightly through the bars, tears in their eyes. "Where's Draco?" he asked, searching the cell for a sign of his beloved sign. Narcissa sat back on her heels and her lip trembled.

"They took him from me… I think the witch's name was Umbridge. Nasty, horrid woman… she said I couldn't care for my own son!" She looked up and saw Severus, whose face betrayed his anger for a fleeting second.

_How dare that woman imply my godson is not being taken care of…_

"Hey! You! Back away from the prisoners! Who said you could come down here?" they heard. Turning, the three men found themselves facing Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. He quailed slightly at the sight of Dumbledore's grave face.

"I said we could be here, Fudge, and you'd do good to tell me why a young child was separated from his mother. Better yet, tell me why you decided it wise to throw your monetary supporters in jail. Growing a backbone, are you?" Severus snarled. Dumbledore put up a hand, giving Severus a significant let-me-handle-this look.

Fudge colored at the insinuation of his pockets being lined with Malfoy money. "I was merely acting on a tip that the Malfoys were ardent You-Know-Who supporters."

Severus scoffed. "Oh really? I'm sure that's not the first time you received this tip, Fudge. Who paid you off? The Longbottoms? I know the Weasleys sure can't afford to," he replied scathingly.

"Severus!" Dumbledore admonished. Turning back to Fudge, he said, "You know, I am actually curious… Who gave you the tip? And be reminded you are speaking to the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; I won't tolerate a lie."

"Black." Fudge said simply, coloring from rage.

Severus' eyes narrowed to slits. _Looks like Black and I are going to have a little talk._

Leaving Dumbledore and Lucius to haggle over the terms with which the Malfoys became suspects, Severus rode the elevator back up to the ground floor and made his way over to an Apparition point, landing a moment later in front of Sirius' new place in Ottery St. Catchpole, next door to the Lovegoods.

Sirius opened the door upon hearing the telltale crack of Apparition, lowering his wand as he saw Severus striding up the walkway and allowing him in. "Harry! Uncle Snape is here!" Sirius called out as Severus walked in and sat down on a leather couch(_bachelors,_ Severus thought).

Harry tottered in from the other room with a gray tabby grasped firmly in his pudgy arms and a giant smile on his face. The tabby, however, looked highly displeased- Harry apparently had gotten some Muggle product called Play-Doh into the tabby's hair. Harry put the cat down and ran over to Severus, crawling into his lap without a second thought. Severus, who had finally gotten used to having a rambunctious child crawl all over him, ruffled Harry's messy mop and felt his lips twitch into a small smile.

"You paid Fudge to arrest the Malfoys." Severus said to Sirius without preamble. Sirius pinked slightly.

"Yeah, and it's about time," he said, looking at Severus curiously and defiantly at the same time.

Severus raised an eyebrow, saying, "While that may be true, I must ask that you do not stir any trouble for the Malfoys any longer. I finally have hope of destroying Voldemort, and curiously enough Lucius had the information all along… unknowingly, of course. I doubt even Lucius was trusted enough to be told what that diary contained." He looked up and raised an eyebrow again at Sirius' eyes, which were as wide as saucers.

"You're fuckin' kidding me." Sirius said, lapsing into Muggle lingo.

Severus put a finger to his lips, pointing to Harry in his lap. "Language, Black; Potter will end up cursing at such a young age."

"I'm not a baby!" Harry said defiantly, his green eyes narrowed through the round glasses he'd just been prescribed. He scrambled off of Severus' lap, still clutching the tabby, and ran off into another room.

Sirius shrugged. "He's definitely got Lily's temper," he said weakly to Severus' slightly confused countenance. Severus stood, feeling Dumbledore would have the situation in hand by now.

"Remember, Black, no more troubles for the Malfoys please. They are, after all, lending us a helping hand." Severus reminded Sirius, giving him a short nod before leaving.

Back at the Ministry, the Malfoy family was happily reunited thanks to Dumbledore's ability to cast an Obliviation charm on Fudge and Umbridge. Thankful no one else had been directly involved (and thanks to the overactive rumor mill at the Ministry, everyone would believe the arrest was just a rumor), the group Apparated to Malfoy Manor with Draco fast asleep in Narcissa's protective arms.

"Sorry about the mess, Severus; Bella's will demanded all of her possessions go to Narcissa instead of Rodolphus, and we've only just started sorting through everything… blasted house elves don't the real value of these possessions, after all," Lucius said as the two descended into a room under the drawing room floor.

Casting a quick light spell, Severus marveled at the dusty tomes and Dark objects hidden, many of them encased in glass because of the curses upon them. The sheer vastness of old and rare Potions volumes made Severus' fingers itch with the urge to pick them up and read them.

"Ah, here we are," Lucius called out from the far end of the room. Dusting himself off, Lucius picked his way back over, nearly stepping on several pieces of jewelry and silver goblets of varying sizes. He handed Severus a plain, ratty red diary. "There's nothing written in it, but the Dark Lord said it would make the Chamber of Secrets open once again." His grey eyes searched Severus' coal black ones intensely. "Be careful with it, Severus; I don't want another death on my conscience." Lucius said sternly as they went back up onto the first floor, where Narcissa and Dumbledore were keeping Draco entertained.

Severus gave Lucius a sidelong look. "That's not something I ever thought I'd hear you say," Severus said lightly. Lucius' eyes fell on Draco and a smile slowly crept onto his face.

"Things change when you have a child," Lucius said, clapping Severus on the back.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Severus bade them farewell and Apparated to Spinner's End, intent on unlocking the diary's secrets.


	5. A Pleasant Change

**A Pleasant Change**

_A/N: Thanks a million to pstibbons for the idea I'm using in this chapter! Read and review! (Another chapter of One Crazy Sunday's up, for those who are interested)_

After casting every version of an appearing charm he knew, Severus set the old diary down on his desk so hard it flipped open to the first page. The blankness of the parchment made Severus irritated he hadn't unlocked its secrets yet.

Severus paced the room, thinking hard. He'd used every possible spell he could think of… there were no traces of Parselmagic on the journal that he'd been able to detect… what else was missing? Was this blank journal simply that- completely and totally blank? Why did Voldemort care so much about an old journal?

Deciding to let the matter rest, Severus poured himself a shot of brandy before remembering the unattended potion. Cursing, he dropped the glass, which shattered all over his desk. He ran off to the laboratory, clutching a fistful of robes over his nose as he descended the steps to the basement lab and tendrils of heavy smoke appeared.

Banishing the smoke on his way down, Severus flung open the door and was relieved to see his triple-layer cauldron hadn't melted, as the overcooked potion was now very caustic. Cursing to himself again, Severus Vanished the entire mess and sat down heavily, cradling his head in his hands.

"Three weeks of work… gone…" he choked out, his voice shaking from pent up anger. Suddenly he stood, grabbing a handful of glass vials and throwing them against the wall, one right after the other.

After smashing about ten of them, Severus decided the night was too young to let completely go to waste. Cleaning up his mess, Severus set a new cauldron boiling with several different ingredients to remake the potion. He drafted a letter to his contractor apologizing for the delay and sent it off with the owl Sirius and Harry had insisted on giving him for his birthday several months before.

Severus pulled on Muggle clothing and transfigured his cloak into a jacket and set off for a nearby pub. A little time away from magical things would do him some good right now, he felt, as he'd just had two disappointments from it.

An hour later, Severus was inside the Cross-and-Arms Muggle pub, with a pint of frothy beer and a bowl of steaming hot soup in front of him. Paying attention to nothing else, Severus dipped a spoon in the thick soup and savored it, remembering a time when Lily would bring him tureens of the soup at the playground whenever her mother made it. His lips twitched into a small smile at the memory.

"Come on, Anna, you'll never have fun if you keep yourself locked up," a woman's voice said, cutting into his thoughts. He looked up from his small booth, taking a swig of beer, and saw a woman about twenty-five years old pulling her friend into the pub. The second woman looked around nervously, looking as though she'd run home if given half the chance.

"I just… I don't… Christ, Wendy, it only became final last week!" the second woman, Anna, protested as her friend Wendy dragged her to the bar and ordered drinks for them.

Wendy gave Anna a charming smile, saying, "Exactly, and you're much too young to act like there's nothing left for you in this world."

Severus raised an eyebrow, wondering what the two women were talking about. He shrugged it off and took another sip of his beer to cool his mouth from the soup.

"Don't leave," Wendy said, walking towards the restrooms. As soon as she was out of sight, Anna looked supremely uncomfortable, her eyes darting everywhere as though she feared for her life. Severus watched, slightly amused, as the woman looked more and more frantic. Just as Severus thought she would run off and leave the other woman behind, she caught Severus' eye and slid into the booth instead, hiding her face from view.

"Sorry, I'll only be here a minute… do you mind?" Anna apologized, her hazel eyes searching Severus' face for emotion. Severus shrugged, showing indifference, and Anna relaxed a fraction of a bit.

"Any reason why you're trying to elude your friend?" Severus asked. The door to the pub swung open again and a short, tweedy-looking man walked in, his eyes searching for a certain person. Severus gripped his wand under the table tightly- this man reminded him too much of Pettigrew. Anna looked back, curious to see what Severus was glaring at, and turned back around swiftly.

"Shit, shit, shit! No she didn't!" Anna said to herself, trying even harder to hide herself. Severus raised an eyebrow and she said, "Well… I just got divorced, and my friend's trying to set me up with her male friends… and I particularly HATE that one."

Severus nodded in understanding, remembering the fiasco the summer before third year, when Lily insisted he try dating a Muggle girl that fancied him. "I see," he said. "An old friend of mine tried that with me once… she was wonderful at matching up everyone around her but me,"

Anna smiled slightly. "I'm sorry,"

"For what?"

"Well… the way you mentioned your friend… it makes me think she's not around anymore," Anna explained, signaling the waiter for a glass of water when the soup plate was cleared away.

Severus saw the other woman, Wendy, walk out of the restroom and meet up with the tweedy man, searching all over for Anna. "Head down," he advised, but was too late.

Wendy stalked over, tweedy man in tow, and said pointedly, "Anna, Charles is here."

Anna looked at the man in disgust. "I found someone to spend the evening with, thanks." Offended, Wendy and Charles left the bar and Anna let out a sigh of relief. "I'm so sorry I got you mixed up in this," Anna apologized. Severus waved her concerns away.

"It's fine, I needed company anyway," he said, surprising himself. "I'm Severus Snape, by the way," he said, extending a hand.

Anna smiled and shook it. "I'm Anna Granger- err, Anna Summers." She laughed nervously. "Just as I get used to a new last name, I'm back to the maiden one,"

Severus smiled slightly, feeling slightly woozy and a lot goofy. He hadn't felt this way about anyone, really, since Lily, especially so soon.

Thanking Merlin for a shot at a more normal life, Severus engaged Anna in conversation about everything, finding her more and more beautiful as the night went on.

_Awww!!! How cute! lol_


	6. Step Two: Figure Out Its Secrets

**Step Two: Figure Out Its Secrets**

_A/N: I'M SO SO SORRY! It's finals week here at UTA, so my writing time is now my study time. Never fear, I haven't forgotten my awesome readers! Updates may be sporadic until school's out, and then I will MOST DEF write a lot to make for right now! Enjoy!_

When Severus awoke the next day, he uncharacteristically laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. Normally, he'd have gotten straight up (Slytherins don't laze around, Severus often told himself) but this morning was different.

He woke up content.

For the first time in three years, Severus awoke to a morning that didn't look mockingly cheerful. He didn't feel hollow, worthless, guilty, or any of the other negative feelings.

Severus recalled the night before, and for the first time, didn't mind a ruined cauldron. Thanks to that, after all, he'd met Anna, and had plans to meet with her again later that day for a late lunch- with a guest, Anna had implied. Severus wondered idly who the mystery person might be, and felt his stomach clench. Surely the woman wasn't introducing him to her parents already? Surely not! …Right?

Putting these thoughts out of his mind (Severus hated being nervous, and that was definitely unhinging him), Severus got up and got ready for the day, deciding to pull on Muggle clothing and tend the potion. He wondered idly how Anna would react to magic as he made his way downstairs, his pale fingers holding a small vial of lionfish spines. He added the spines one by one, moving away from the slight splashes the spines made. The potion bubbled lightly and he watched with interest as it became a deep purple and bubbled sluggishly, becoming thicker with each spine. He dusted his hands lightly and went back upstairs to fix a pot of coffee.

Severus tensed slightly as he felt something hard break under his foot. He stepped back and saw a piece of glass and fine powder on the floor and remembered dropping the shotglass in his panic over the potion.

"Oh fuck," he moaned, remembering the open journal. He seized it off his desk and marveled at the miss. A bit of brandy had pooled just beside the page, but nothing more.

Deciding against Vanishing the mess, Severus found a rag in the kitchen and mopped up the brandy, careful not to let it ruin his papers.

A screech startled Severus, making him drop his inkwell onto the desk. The well broke, spraying ink all over the place. A handsome tawny owl swooped in, dropping a note on Severus' head before leaving Spinner's End.

Seeing the letter was from Dumbledore, Severus buried himself into the lengthy speculative letter about Tom Riddle's past. He Vanished the mess without noticing the ink that had splattered the yellowed pages of the journal was suspiciously no longer there.

Severus checked the grandfather clock behind Dumbledore's desk nervously, assuring himself he still had three hours before he was to meet Anna at a local bistro. Dumbledore steepled his fingers, discussing Tom's early life in the orphanage with Severus before giving it up as a bad job.

"Severus, I realize history from Binns is not too fun to listen to- am I boring you the same way?" Dumbledore asked, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Severus smirked slightly.

"I actually have something to look forward to today," Severus admitted. "But I was listening! Tom Riddle grew up in an orphanage and found out early on he had control of his magic and used it to hurt the other children there. You tracked down Dennis Bishop and Amy Benton, and they still won't talk about what happened in the cave with Riddle. He went to work with Borgin and Burkes… you said he killed his grandfather as a student, right? There is a possibility he killed one of the clients he visited regularly working in Knockturn Alley… I believe that was all?"

Dumbledore nodded gravely, although his eyes danced with amusement. "What are you looking forward to, Severus? I notice you keep looking at my clock,"

The hard lines around Severus' eyes softened and the corner of his lips twitched into a less-rare smile. "I… I met a woman," Severus explained.

Dumbledore smiled. "Sounds wonderful. Well, since we've covered the major points, I suppose we have discussed everything we possibly can up to now. If you haven't progressed with the diary, let me take a look,"

Severus nodded and stood to leave. As he turned to leave, he caught a glimpse of Dumbledore reaching for a stone basin that looked oddly familiar before the rush of green flames whisked him back to Spinner's End, just in time to notice the journal's pages looked slightly darker even though he'd magically cleaned up the mess.

Intruiged, Severus strode over to his desk and picked up the journal, examining it again from every angle. There was no doubt in his mind the journal somehow looked… engorged, it seemed… and its pages were all a few shades darker. Quirking an eyebrow, Severus picked up a stray quill and blotted the page with ink.

The inkblot disappeared.

This astounded Severus, making him sag into the threadbare chair behind the desk. "So simple," Severus muttered to himself. Driven, Severus picked up the quill again, dipped it in ink, and wrote, _Today is November 17, 1984._

_**Good lord, is it really? Time is a funny thing. I'm Tom Riddle, who are you?**_ Severus nearly overturned his inkwell in his hurry to refill the quill and answer.

_I'm Severus Snape. How did you make this? This journal is astounding._

_**That, friend, is a secret I cannot tell just anyone.**_Severus made a face, then brightened- if Dumbledore was right, and this journal was reliably dated, then Tom Riddle must have been about sixteen or seventeen years old when making this and was already known to some as Lord Voldemort. Hopefully, the Dark Lord nor Lucius had kept the journal up to date, and he could try and pass himself off as a Death Eater.

_Master, I implore you to allow me access to this knowledge._

The words appeared hastily, as though the journal-Riddle had become excited. _**Master? How do you know me, Snape?**_

_My Lord, you are now the most feared Dark wizard in the history of magic. You are great. You are powerful. You are Lord Voldemort, and all the Mudbloods are so scared of you they've gone abroad for their studies rather than stay in Britain._ Severus sneered, trying to think of other things to stroke the older man's ego.

_**It was only a matter of time. I suppose, then, that I have sent you to open the Chamber of Secrets once again? Are there half-bloods and blood traitors to get rid of at Hogwarts?**_

_Yes, Master. What "horror within" lies in the Chamber?__ I am your personal Potions master, and if I am to release a creature or curse, I need to know if there is an antidote to brew should one of your followers become a casualty._

_**In time, my faithful servant, in time. Tell me more about yourself, and how you came to be allied with me. Tell me everything. I've not had news since 1945, after all.**_

For the next two hours, Severus spun a tale of a steady rise to power and a definite fall of the Ministry at his feet, describing himself humbly as in the inner circle, but not quite a right-hand man, believing Lord Voldemort regarded lower followers as incapable of thinking like he did. Fortunately this paid off, as Riddle mentioned charming a Hogwarts ghost into revealing some sort of secret, and confirmed killing his paternal family, relishing over his ingenuity as he related framing his uncle, Morfin Gaunt, for the crime and stealing the man's only worldly possession- an old, gaudy ring. Finally Severus looked up, noticed the time, and wrote a hurried goodbye to the journal, vowing to return once his "mission" was over.

Severus checked his reflection in a spotted mirror before donning a Muggle coat against the chill autumn air, Apparating to a dark alley behind the bistro.

Severus took a deep breath to steady his nerves as he walked around the building to the front. A gloved hand waving around caught his attention, and he smiled slightly as he saw Anna waving him over to a booth inside close to a roaring fireplace. A small girl sat next to Anna, her eyes wide at the sight of Severus.

"Hello, Severus," Anna said warmly. She turned to the child and said, "Sweetheart, introduce yourself to the nice man."

Severus realized quickly this was Anna's daughter, and turned to her expectantly, careful to keep his face pleasant lest he scare her. The little girl pushed back curly brown hair and extended her small, icy hand politely.

"Hello, Mister, my name is Hermione Granger."


	7. My Daugther's a WHAT?

**My Daughter's A WHAT?**

_A/N: Two more finals to go! Everyone wish me luck on my physics and chemistry finals! And good luck on yours! Yeah, I know the story's moving a tad fast... there's a reason for it, so bear with me! Read and review, and thanks!_

Severus smiled, taking the little girl's hand into his own. "Hello, Hermione, my name is Severus Snape," he replied evenly, surprised that he didn't mind Anna had a child. The three ordered lunch together and Severus felt an odd tightness between his shoulder blades release entirely as he let his walls down and enjoyed a trip out of the Potions lab and away from all of the responsibilities he'd taken on. Their waitress, a plump, matronly woman, smiled and commented she hardly ever saw "happy little families" come in anymore, to which Anna turned bright red and Severus choked on a bite of his biscuit. Mistaking their embarrassment as gratitude, she smiled and left to tend to another table.

"Sorry," Anna mumbled. Severus shook his head, waving her concerns away.

"Don't worry about it, it wasn't horrible," Severus lied, waving his hand as though he could wave the awkward mood away. Hermione munched contentedly on a scone, looking around the bistro with bright eyes. "Er- how old are you, Miss Granger?" he asked kindly.

Hermione looked at Severus with big brown eyes and said, "Four."

Severus sat back. "Really? I know someone your age- I think you two would get along splendidly," he said. Hermione and Anna smiled.

"That would be nice," Hermione said, looking down modestly. Anna smoothed her daughter's hair back lovingly.

"Harry is my best friend's son. His godfather is raising him," Severus said to Anna's inquisitive look. "In fact, if you'll allow me a trip to a payphone, I could see if they're free," Severus offered on the spur of the moment. The two smiled happily and nodded and Severus stepped out, thankful Sirius had installed that Muggle contraption and fervently hoping he could handle two rambunctious toddlers.

Severus found a payphone just outside of the bistro and surreptitiously tapped it with the tip of his wand. As it began to ring, Severus thanked his lucky stars that Lily and Sirius both had insisted on his being constantly in Harry's life- without that, he simply didn't know how else he'd have garnered the patience required when dealing with children.

"Er-hello?"

"Black, it's Snape. I was wondering if you and Harry would like company- my, er, female companion has a daughter Harry's age and a playdate sounds like a good idea," he said, hoping Sirius wouldn't make a big deal out of the situation.

Too bad. "Whoa, Snape! You got yourself a girlfriend? Is she cute? Did you remember to wash your hair for her? Did you remember not to sneer too much? Ha… Yeah, come on over, Harry's been asking for you," Sirius teased.

In spite of himself, Severus smiled. " One more thing- Anna is a Muggle, so please don't do anything magical around her. I just met her yesterday and I don't need your fleabitten arse messing things up," he shot back jokingly. Sirius conceded and Severus hung up with a little shake of his head.

If anyone had gone to Severus during his Hogwarts years and told him that not only would one of his close friends besides Lily be a Gryffindor, he'd also be Black… plus liking Potter's son… well, he would have recommended St. Mungo's for that person.

_Funny how things change, _Severus thought as he walked back inside to the two prettiest girls he'd seen in years.

"Harry Potter, don't you dare jump off of that thing! I mean it!" Sirius called out, seeing Harry at the top of a jungle gym with his arms spread open like wings. He laughed and scrambled down, joining Hermione at a nearby spiraled slide.

Anna smiled, watching them play, huddling closer to Severus against the fall wind. Without think Severus put an arm around her and Sirius' eyes danced merrily, thinking of all the teasing he'd be doing once Anna and Hermione were out of earshot.

"It's so good to see she made a friend," Anna said. "The poor girl scares everyone her age away- she is just so thirsty for knowledge that I'm scared she'll waste her childhood away in libraries and museums,"

"Harry's pretty good about making uptight people loosen up," Sirius said cheekily, looking pointedly at Severus. "He's a real playful guy, just like his dad."

A wry smile twisted Severus' features. "Yes, let's just hope he's not as much of a practical joker," he added. Anna smiled slightly, her eyes never leaving Hermione and Harry on the playground.

Sirius laughed. "Oh, Snivellus, you know I intend to show my godson the joy of pranking!" he said, wagging his fingers. Severus scowled slightly but said nothing, watching Harry and Hermione scramble over to the swings.

"I bet I can go higher than you!" Hermione called out, her face pink from the wind.

"Nu-uh! I bet I can go MUCH higher than you!" Harry responded, pumping his little legs furiously on the swing, trying to go higher and higher.

"I bet I can jump farther than you!" Hermione said after a little while, as both children were swinging just as high as the other.

"We'll see!" Harry exclaimed.

"One, two, THREE!" Hermione called out. On three, unexpectedly, both children leapt off of the swing set, effectively scaring all three adults. Harry tumbled and rolled as he hit the ground, dusting himself off as though he'd merely fallen.

Hermione-

Severus' eyes widened as his breath left him. Hermione had leapt nimbly off of the swing, and hung in the air, almost motionless, for a second before floating down gently, far more gently than gravity would allow. She turned primly to Harry, who was about three feet behind her, and said, "I win."

Anna looked absolutely terrified, scooping her daughter into her arms as the three ran over. Severus' mind whirled frantically as he remembered seeing Lily do the exact same thing at a young age, and he realized there was no other explanation- Hermione was a witch!

"Black- the girl's a witch!" he whispered. He looked at Severus disbelievingly, his chest heaving from the burst of speed across the playground. "Lily did the same thing! I swear it!" Severus looked around and was thankful no Muggles had seen what happened, and pulled Anna to her feet.

"Why don't we go to Bla- er, Sirius' and relax after that scare?" he suggested. Anna smiled wanly and nodded, her face still white.

"We rode the Knight Bus here!" Sirius moaned, ruffling his hair frantically. "And how do you explain the Knight Bus to a Muggle?"

Severus searched his mind frantically, then sighed. Gently he plucked Hermione out of Anna's protective embrace and took her hand, walking to a shadowy area with the others. Silently, Severus cast the Imperius Curse on Anna, hating himself for it but seeing no other way to take her to Sirius' without causing her to go ballistic.

"Mommy?" Hermione said fearfully as Anna's eyes went out of focus. Severus shushed her.

"Mommy's fine, she's- er- calming down right now; I've got you." Sirius stuck out his wand arm and the Knight Bus rolled up. Everyone got on board and Harry and Hermione squealed as the bus jumped this way and that, heading to Sirius' home.

Once everyone was in the living room, Severus lifted the Imperius Curse and set Hermione down. Anna sank into the leather couch gratefully, looking slightly confused.

"You have to tell her," Sirius said to Severus. His eyes widened.

"What do I say?" he said aloud.

Anna interrupted, "Sorry, but what is going on?" Severus took a deep breath to steady his nerves, and hoped Anna was not a religious fanatic sort of person who would condemn Hermione.

"I know this is going to sound extremely odd… Anna, your daughter is a witch."

Anna stared. "My daughter's a WHAT?"

"A witch," Sirius said, watching her warily.

Anna took one long look at Severus and Sirius and burst out laughing.


	8. Magic is Real!

**Magic is Real!**

_A/N: I'm done with finals! Yay! Time to write! Another chapter of One Crazy Sunday is up, and different oneshot will be up later today so keep your eyes peeled! Motivate me to write more... review!!_

_"I know this is going to sound extremely odd… Anna, your daughter is a witch."_

_Anna took one long look at Severus and burst out laughing. _

Severus and Sirius looked at each other, baffled, and turned back to Anna, who had a placating smile on her face.

"Right… and I'm the Queen of England!" Anna scoffed.

Sirius did a double-take. "Are you really? Merlin, I thought the queen was old!" Severus rolled his eyes at Sirius' ineptitude and dug an elbow into the Gryffindor's ribs.

"Anna, I know this sounds completely bonkers, but it is true. When Hermione turns eleven, she will receive a letter from a school of magic, and she'll be educated in how to direct her magic at will until she comes of age. We have an entire society hidden from the nonmagical folk- we don't want another witch-hunt, after all," Severus explained quietly, sitting next to Anna and taking her hand.

She pulled back. "We? What, are you a man-witch? A wizard? Don't tell me you're serious," she said, her eyes wide.

Sirius smiled. "No, he's Severus. I'm Sirius."

Severus shot him a look. "Merlin, Gryffindork, this is not the time for games! Go watch the children if you can't be serious for half a second!" he barked, glaring.

Sirius smirked. "Of course…. I'm Sirius all the time," he answered cheekily, before leaving the room to chase after Hermione and Harry.

"Can you make things out of thin air?" Anna asked, still looking as though she thought the entire conversation was crazy. Severus pondered that.

"Within reason- the magical world has its own laws of nature we must abide to. For instance, you are not a supreme being, and therefore you cannot breathe life into anything that wasn't alive before. We can animate something, which is what Hermione will learn to do in her Transfiguration classes, and it will act as though it is a flesh-and-blood- creature, but the effect only lasts as long as the caster's magic allows," Severus explained. "As for conjuration- the whole making things out of thin air bit- it is limited to inanimate objects only. No animals, unless you mix in a few runes to add magic into your spell, and no food- meat classifies as an animal, plants are technically alive, and grain products have to be refined by several powerful spells not normally achievable by one person before it is edible. Alcohol, however, is curiously easy, although it really shouldn't be."

"I need a glass of wine, then," Anna muttered. Severus pulled his wand out and conjured a goblet of deep red wine, startling Anna. "You've got to be kidding me."

Severus shook his head. He took her hand into his own, drawing tiny circles on the back with his thumb. "This is for real. I am not lying to you about anything, and I never would if I could help it. If you don't want to associate with me after today, I'll understand," he started, feeling a part of his mended heart break. "But please, no matter what, don't shun or try to change Hermione. This is who she is, and nothing is ever going to change that."

Anna smiled, and drained her goblet of wine. "Don't worry about that, Severus," she said, touching his cheek lightly. "This will… take a little getting used to… and I do hope you'll help me with that… Wow, this is a lot of information for our second meeting!" she laughed. "The only thing I will ever be towards Hermione regarding magic is jealous- I used to read through fantasy novels like they were my oxygen, and I always wished magic was real," Anna finished wistfully.

Before Severus had a chance to feel relieved, a high-pitched scream sounded. Anna jumped to her feet and ran in the general direction, calling for Hermione. Severus followed, only to see Hermione sobbing in Anna's arms in the next room and Sirius apologizing over and over.

"Harry, what happened?" Severus asked, kneeling next to the boy.

Harry looked at Severus with startlingly green eyes and said, "Uncle Sirius changed into a dog, and Hermione got scared. I don't think she likes dogs," he said, his eyes round.

Severus glared at Sirius again. "Foolish man! Did you not think to warn her first? The only magical experience she's had was the Knight Bus aside from accidental magic, and that was barely an hour ago!" he growled at Sirius, who looked properly ashamed.

"I told her it was a surprise… I thought all kids like dogs…" Sirius protested weakly, before hanging his head and backing away from Hermione. He didn't want to scare the poor girl again, not when she'd finally calmed down some in her mother's arms.

Anna shushed her daughter's sobs, patting her back consolingly. "She just lost her kitten to a big dog- poor thing watched it happen," she whispered as Hermione was lulled to an exhausted sleep. "She's scared of anything that's bigger than she is now,"

Sirius looked as though he'd been slapped. "I'm just… going to go bash my head into a wall," he mumbled, saying goodbye to Anna and stepping out of the room.

Severus said his farewells, even giving Harry an extremely rare hug (Anna certainly puts him into a good mood) before stepping out of the house and signaling the Knight Bus for the ride back. After a glare and an order to drive carefully, as Hermione was asleep, the Knight Bus trundled back to the Muggle world, arriving at a quaint little house with barren rosebushes. Severus noted Anna's house was only three streets away from Spinner's End as he helped Anna off the bus, which shot into the evening as quickly as it had come.

"Would you like to come by next weekend? I'm afraid I'm busy all week at work- every parent wants their children's teeth cleaned after Halloween," Anna asked, reaching for her keys. "I'm a dentist," she added at Severus' curious look.

"I'd like that," Severus said.

Hesitantly, he took a small step forward, gazing uncertainly into Anna's hazel eyes. She smiled slightly, and leaned in. Softly, their lips touched, and Severus' head swam. Anna smiled again and let herself into the house, bidding Severus farewell. In a haze, he walked back to Spinner's End with a ridiculous smile on his face.


	9. Realization

**Realization**

_A/N:Another day, another chapter. I wish I could write them that fast! But you should know... I post as soon as I've finished, so I don't hold anything back from you! I promise! Thank me by reviewing! lol_

Although Severus missed Anna's and even Hermione's company, Severus found the week apart a welcome time to make headway on the puzzling journal containing a sixteen-year-old Dark Lord.

_My Lord, I have returned. I am deeply apologetic that it has been more than the few hours I believed it would be.__ Will you not regale me with stories of your youth? The current-ah, version- of you suggested I ask you._

_**Have I achieved immortality?**_

_You tell us of a great plan in the works since your Hogwarts years, and though you never say outright what it is, I am assured your brilliance is paying off, my Lord, as you are looking more and more invincible with each meeting._

_**My plan was flawless, Snape. If I have managed to stick to the rough timetable I wrote up… I should be done by now.**_

_Tell me, my Lord! I beg to know!_

_**How much of the Dark Arts do you know, Snape?**_

_I know a g__ood amount, though not anything close to the vast amount of information you know, my Lord._

_**Do you know any Dark Arts connected to Soul Magic?**_

_Magic most evil! My Lord, I am impressed; even the most foolhardy among us could never even begin to summon the courage for the simplest of soul magics._

Severus sat back, his eyes wide. Tom actually touched the soul magics? Was this the reason for his blurred, waxy appearance? His madness, even?

**_Yes, I began researching it while still at Hogwarts, though I think I scared old Slughorn something fierce about it. Good thing I'd finished my research in the library; Dumbledore found out "someone" asked about Horcruxes and persuaded Dippet to pull all the books concerning Soul Magic off the shelves._**

Severus looked at the journal in confusion. He had always prided himself during Hogwarts on knowing more about the Dark Arts than almost any other individual, and yet Horcruxes didn't even sound familiar.

_My Lord, I must admit I have never even heard of Horcruxes._

**_Then go look for the information! Your stupidity will not be tolerated!_**

_Yes, my Lord._ Severus closed the journal with a snap and stood, his joints creaking. He let out a deep breath and walked down to the lab, adding several ingredients to the commissioned potion.

What on Earth were Horcruxes? Severus checked the time- 11:43. No, it was past curfew and rounds; Dumbledore would certainly be asleep.

Severus settled into his favorite armchair facing the fireplace with a Potions journal and a glass of brandy, idly swirling the contents of the goblet as he perused several articles trying to relax and clear his mind. He drained the goblet and tried to make himself finish the horrendously boring last article, until his eyes were simply too heavy. The Potions journal fell to the floor from lax fingers, and Severus fell uncomfortably asleep.

The next evening, Severus found himself in Dumbledore's office once again, this time with the journal present and open in front of the two men though the aged parchment was predictably blank. Dumbledore peered at it curiously.

"You say he responded? A sixteen year old Tom answered back? Hmm…" Dumbledore mused.

"Yes, Headmaster, and he mentioned Horcruxes."

Dumbledore froze completely, a lemon drop halfway to his mouth. He blinked several times and stared at Severus incredulously. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir. He asked me what I knew of Soul Magic and then mentioned Horcruxes. He said you got the books concerning Horcruxes pulled from the school shelves," Severus informed the older man, slightly nervous upon seeing Dumbledore's normally composed face look fearful.

Dumbledore's hands shook as he wrung them in his lap, then pushed himself up out of the chair and made his way over to a small, out-of-the-way bookcase. Pulling a few volumes out, he whispered, "I had hoped it was just a rumor… it seems Tom really did muck around in the Arts so Dark no self-respecting witch or wizard would dream of touching it." He dropped several volumes on the desk, making several plumes of dust spiral upward lazily.

Severus pulled one of the books toward him, thumbing though it as he asked, "Headmaster… was there an indication of Soul Magic usage? Wouldn't something that Dark trip the wards around Hogwarts?"

Dumbledore sighed, sitting back down and pinching the bridge of his nose above the spectacles he wore. "That is the problem, Severus. The wards never failed while Tom was here, only fluctuated as it does when powerful students cast powerful spells, and even then I couldn't be sure of every incident, as only the current headmaster is keyed into the wards. If he ever practiced Soul Magic while he was a student, it was either outside the perimeter of the wards, or during break. There was a rumor that a student asked Horace Slughorn about Horcruxes, and I asked Dippet to pull those as soon as I heard, in case it was truth."

Severus half-listened to the older wizard, scanning the book's pages before finding something that made him choke on his tea and back away from the table, horrified.

"He- he split his _soul?!?"_ Severus spluttered, looking utterly disgusted. "It's possible?"

Dumbledore sorrowfully nodded. "The rumor I heard stated the student asked about having seven soul-pieces, since seven is magically a powerful number, and what its general effect would be."

"Oh, bloody hell," Severus said, running thin fingers through slightly greasy hair. He stood and paced, feeling as though he'd taken on the impossible. "So that's why Tom is still alive? There are Horcruxes out there binding him to life? They could be anywhere- anything- where do we even start?"

Dumbledore smiled grimly. "We start, Severus, by looking at his past. Since coming to Hogwarts, Tom regarded this castle as his home… we know that much. We also know he was unnaturally good at his job at Borgin and Burkes. We know there must be six objects to destroy, since the seventh will reside in him." He stared at the diary for a long time.

"Headmaster?" Severus said tentatively, trying to break Dumbledore out of the trance he seemed to be in.

"Severus… that diary. It's a Horcrux." Dumbledore had a maniacal gleam in his eye as he advanced upon the innocuous-looking diary.

"Are you sure? Might it not just be enchanted?" Severus asked. Dumbledore shook his head.

"I highly doubt that. Enchanted, to think for itself? To answer exactly as Tom himself would have, so long ago? I think this was his first attempt at a Horcrux… this must have been made when he killed his grandfather. You say he took a ring?" he asked, looking to Severus for confirmation. When Severus nodded, he added, "He frequently took small trinkets as trophies during his early years at the orphanage… what if he used those trophies for later Horcruxes?" His eyes glittered in anticipation.

"It is likely," Severus admitted. "This is of no further use then; Tom stated he'd not had news since soon after the diary was made; graduation at the latest. How do you go about destroying a Horcrux?"

Dumbledore shrugged apologetically. "We will have to do a little research. I have no idea; I only pulled these books. I never read them."

Severus bowed his head. "Of course. Shall we start?"

The two men ignored weariness, leafing through the heavy tomes through the night for an answer.


	10. Method of Destruction

**Method of Destruction**

_A/N:Sorry, sorry, sorry! The holidays are a crazy time of year... enough! On with the story! Take a sec to tell me what you think!_

The pile of books on the "read" side grew as the hours passed, making the two men's eyes heavier as time passed. The only sound was the occasional grunt and scratching of quill on parchment as a piece of information was copied down for later use.

"Here, Dumbledore! 'The Horcrux, most evil of Dark Arts, can only be considered destroyed when it is so mutilated there is no means to restore it.' So… we have to destroy it so completely it can't be repaired magically?" Severus asked. A shadow of doubt flitted across his features.

Dumbledore sat back, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Of course… mutilate the piece of soul so much it cannot be used… Merlin, as if simply being torn isn't enough to render the piece useless!"

Severus' mouth twisted into a wry smile. "We as humans are surprisingly resilient, eh? So what sort of damage are we speaking of? Could you blast it with a Reductor and scatter the pieces?"

Dumbledore shook his head regretfully. "I am afraid a Repairing Spell would fix that… a powerful one would be needed, of course, but it would still work. No, I believe this would call for something more destructive."

Severus sat back thoughtfully, fingering his longish locks. _Something destructive… what on Earth could be destructive enough to kill a Horcrux? Poison? Something poisonous enough to eat it away like a Muggle acid could corrode their metals? Acid damage can be magically corrected… If it takes the rest of my life, I'll find a way to kill that snakelike bastard for good._

As he sat, thinking, Severus thumbed through the thick tome, hoping for a stroke of inspiration. _Wait… snake venom? Poison? That's it!_ Severus shot to his feet, toppling the precarious stack of books and paying them no heed. "A Basilisk! We need Basilisk venom!"

Dumbledore smiled ruefully. "That would work… but how do we get it? You know better than I do, Severus, that Basilisk venom is extremely, extremely rare and preposterously priced," Dumbledore reminded Severus gently.

An incalculable rage swelled in his chest, forcing Severus to clench his fists so tightly he almost drew blood from the nails digging into his palms. "That dratted, evil git," he managed to growl, his jaw clenched tightly, "It'll be damn near impossible to kill him,"

"Do you think Fiendfyre would work? I remember my father… well…" Dumbledore's moustache twitched, as though a tic had appeared. "That was… he's used it before. There was nothing left," he finished sternly, leaving Severus no room to question the older wizard's hesitation. He looked at Severus surreptitiously, the twinkle gone from his eyes. He was surprised to see the older man suddenly looked every bit his age.

Choosing wisely to ignore Dumbledore's sudden discomfiture, Severus merely shrugged and sat down, smoothing the worst of the wrinkles out of his robes. "It is possible, but Fiendfyre is… well, I've never tried it- I have no place I could go to and try it out. I fear it may become uncontrollable," he replied, calling a house elf for coffee and biscuits. "It certainly merits a try,"

Dumbledore shook his head slightly, reaching for a steaming mug of coffee and wrapping long, bony fingers around the willow-patterned cup. He cast a dark look at the diary before taking a sip, licking a stray drop from the rim of the cup. "We'll need a good place to cast this, in case the worst happens, and I am unable to control the Fiendfyre. Someplace rocky, I should think, with little vegetation and perhaps some lake or river nearby." Dumbledore sipped on his coffee, falling silent as he brainstormed possible locations. Severus said nothing, as he'd never really been on anything one could call a "vacation", and didn't think he'd ever been in someplace qualifying.

He heard a slight breath intake and looked up. Dumbledore had a finger in the air, struck by a random thought, it seemed, and tapped his finger against his lips. The older man smiled slightly, almost Slytherin-like. "I think we can kill two jarveys with one stone, Severus… tomorrow, after we have had some sleep, we should take a look at the area around the cave where Tom bullied those two children from the orphanage. Something tells me we may find a little something interesting there, anyway, along with the area fitting our needs for the Fiendfyre curse."

&&&&

The next day, Severus awoke and was momentarily confused as he found himself gazing at a grand room, completely unlike his dilapidated bedroom at Spinner's End. He sat up quickly, tense, before remembering he'd spent the night in guest chambers at Hogwarts and allowed himself to relax. He glared at the window, which was showing a cheery blue sky and allowing a generous amount of sunlight to spill into the room, before scooping up his things and making his way to the nearby bathroom, intent on waking himself up with a refreshing shower.

After a quick breakfast brought up by a terrified house elf, Severus mulled over the 'discoveries', so to speak, of the night before. He pulled the piece of parchment on which he'd written everything down out of the book Dumbledore had allowed him to bring to the guest room and surveyed it, not finding anything he'd penned remotely useful anymore.

"Sir, the Headmaster is wanting to see you now, sir," said a plaintive voice. Recognizing it as that of the house elf, Severus nodded absently and strode out, his robes billowing behind him as they had during better days.

"Ah, Severus, you're here. I've told Fawkes to take us to the little seaside cave, assuming I deduced the right location. I believe you would prefer not to waste any time?" Dumbledore said, standing as Severus entered the grand office. Severus glanced at the old copy of the Daily Prophet in Dumbledore's hands and then at Fawkes, who was in the prime of his life and preening beautiful feathers majestically.

Severus strode closer to Dumbledore and clasped his hand. "Let's get on with it, then," he said, picking up the diary off the desk. Dumbledore nodded gravely and put down the Prophet, grabbing Fawkes' tail. In a flash of light and sound, they disappeared from Hogwarts' grounds.


	11. Kill One, Find Another

**Kill One, Find Another**

_A/N: Another chapter! Happy new year everyone, and leave me a review as a late Christmas present! Enjoy!_

A salty, sudden gust caught Severus off guard as he and Dumbledore landed on an unexpectedly rocky surface. Just as he tried to get an even footing, another gust caught him of balance and his left foot traitorously slipped, not enough so that he fell, but enough for him to hiss in pain as his ankle twisted from trying to hold him upright.

"Merlin's… testicles," Severus said, gingerly trying to put a bit of weight on his left foot unsuccessfully. Dumbledore offered his arm for stability and pointed his wand at the hurt ankle, binding it tightly enough so Severus could walk on it.

"We'll have Poppy take a look at it when we get back," Dumbledore said, looking around the area. "Will you be able to get around alright?"

Severus nodded at Dumbledore's inquisitive gaze. "I'll be fine," he said, craning his neck to see the surf breaking on jagged rocks. "Where's the cave, Albus?"

Dumbledore took another look at the bandaged ankle before craning his neck to look around, the sea breeze whipping his hair and beard into a frenzy around him. He cast the area a surreptitious look, drew his wand, and spelled several wards into place. He smiled slightly at Severus' confused look. "Muggles may still come around, so I cast a few Muggle-repelling wards, along with privacy wards should another wizard come around," Dumbledore explained. "Can't be too careful,"

Severus nodded, grimacing slightly as his ankle twinged while moving to a less rocky area. "What do we do first? Get rid of the diary?"

Dumbledore nodded and pointed. "I see a flat, rocky surface down there… Would you rather I levitate you down? It would be easier on your ankle,"

Severus' pride faltered as he looked over the sharply sloping side of the plateau-like clearing they were on which was littered with rocks. Realizing Dumbledore was right, he nodded and closed his eyes as he felt himself lift, move, and fall gently, cracking an eye open to make sure he landed properly. He drew his wand and looked around curiously as Dumbledore levitated himself down the steep slope next to him.

"I think we'd better take care of that journal before we do anything else," Dumbledore said grimly, gesturing to the journal tightly gripped in Severus' hand. He handed it over wordlessly and stepped back, ready to cast the strongest shield he knew. Dumbledore placed the journal on the ground, facing the sea as he stepped back and drew his wand. The breeze rifled through the journal's pages innocently as Dumbledore nodded to Severus, who took the cue and cast a strong Shield Charm.

"_ABYSSUS INCENDIA!_" Dumbledore roared, bringing his wand over his head and slashing downward. The sheer force of the Fiendfyre spell hit Severus and Albus like a tidal wave, forcing both men to stagger back a few steps and brace themselves more carefully.

A whip-like tendril of fire shot out of Dumbledore's wand, along with what Severus thought must be all the heat from the pits of Hell. Instinctively, he brought an arm up over his face to guard himself from the intense heat as the Fiendfyre licked at the diary before engulfing it entirely. The diary suddenly expelled torrents of ink before a high-pitched, anguished scream tore out of it. As the Horcrux faded into ashes, Dumbledore pulled his wand away, breaking the contact between wand and Fiendfyre. As quickly as it had appeared, the Fiendfyre disappeared, having nothing magical to sustain its existence.

Exhausted, Dumbledore fell to his knees. Severus conjured a flask of brandy and offered it to Dumbledore. He took a modest sip and nodded gratefully as Severus took a large gulp. "That," Severus started, "…Was… weird."

Dumbledore smiled grimly. "Be thankful I didn't lose control of the thing," he advised. "Now, let's just make sure this Horcrux is really destroyed." Both men stood somewhat shakily and made their way over to the meager pile of ashes the wind was already trying to claim.

"_Reparo!_" Two jets of light shot out from both wands to the ashes, and to their intense relief, nothing happened. The Fiendfyre had indeed destroyed the Horcrux so thoroughly it could not be repaired. Both men smiled, relieved, and gripped their wands tightly.

"From what I remember, Dumbledore, we're not done here yet, are we?" Severus asked, remembering the supposedly nearby cave. "So you really think there may be another Horcrux in that cave?"

"It makes sense, if you think about it. Tom Riddle was not much of a petty man before becoming Lord Voldemort. Also, each soul-fragment is another testament to his power, or so he believes, so each murder used to create a Horcrux would likely be a significant one, and he would certainly collect some sort of small trophy to encase the soul-fragment in. It would be something that means a lot to him, I should think, and they would be hidden in places where significant events occurred. I may be wrong, but that's just what I gather from the little information we have," Dumbledore replied, shading his eyes from the sun as he glanced around the area.

Severus peered at the old man, unnerved by the show of weariness. "Perhaps we should try this another time, Dumbledore; you look much too tired to do anything but rest," Severus stated, holding an arm out to steady the older man. He smiled at Severus gratefully.

"I think I'll be just fine, if you'll allow me a moment to rest and a spot of tea," Dumbledore insisted, Transfiguring a handful of nearby rocks into rudimentary chairs and a small table. He cast a Cushioning Charm at the rough chair before sinking into it and sighing appreciatively. Severus did the same, conjuring a pot of strong tea and two cups.

After about thirty minutes, Dumbledore stood and Vanished everything as Severus also stood. "Ready to find that cave?" Dumbledore asked. Severus nodded.

"Let's get to it, then," he said, gripping his wand tightly. Dumbledore cast a wordless charm, which made several spots in the area glow different colors.

"It's a magic detection charm. I'm sure Riddle thought to cast concealment charms, so this should let us know where the cave is," Dumbledore explained as he craned his neck looking around. Severus made his way carefully to the ledge and looked around.

A violet spot in the distance caught his eye. Severs blinked and looked again. "Dumbledore- I found it! We have to get to that other ledge!" He pointed in its direction and looked back to see the older man contemplating the travel. "We could just Apparate, couldn't we? That ledge is pretty wide; it should give us enough room to land easily."

Instead of a response, Dumbledore turned on the spot and disappeared with a small _pop!_ Severus turned to see Dumbledore standing on the ledge, and quickly followed. He turned to see Dumbledore climbing down the ledge, using the rock's weathered face to grab hand and footholds, lowering himself closer to the rocky sea.

"Look," Dumbledore said, pointing to a crevice in the cliff's face. "The violet light is coming from inside… do you know how to swim?"

Severus nodded. "Seems we'll have to get wet to get any further; good thing we have warming charms on our side, unlike Muggles," he said, half to himself. He stripped off his outer robe, took Dumbledore's, and laid them out of reach of the waves on a big, fairly flat boulder. As an added precaution, Severus levitated a rock on top of the robes to keep them from blowing away, and dove in after Dumbledore.

Both men gasped upon entering the frigid water. Deeper they swam, the only sounds being that of splashing in the seawater. Severus cast a light spell and held the wand carefully in his teeth as the water became deeper, and he saw Dumbledore do the same as they entered a dark, forbidding, narrow tunnel.

Finally, when Severus' aching muscles screamed at every movement, Dumbledore spoke. "OUCH! Damn! Well, we're on solid ground again… be careful, I rammed my knee into a sharp rock under the water there…"

Severus felt carefully for the rock, found it, and pulled himself out of the water, his clothes stuck to him like a wetsuit. Immediately he cast a warming charm on himself and on Dumbledore, who was examining what looked like a solid cave wall bathed in the violet light. A red tinge appeared as Dumbledore waved his wand over the wall, muttering under his breath.

"And now… the fun part," Dumbledore said, wiping some of the blood from his knee onto the wall. The rock shone for a moment, and disappeared. Severus pointed his lighted wand into the darkness and saw a large, eerie black lake with a misty green light shining in what seemed to be the middle, and a dark shape to the side of the light.

"What is that?" Severus said quietly, wishing his wandlight penetrated further into the darkness.

"_Lumos Maxima!"_ Dumbledore said, pointing the much brighter light in the direction of the shape.

Both men were startled. Next to where they figured the Horcrux would be was an old, scared, wheezing house elf.


	12. A Break in the Case

**A Break in the Case**

_A/N: Thank you all for reading! Extra thanks for those who took a minute to leave me a review! You are all wonderful! This chapter was fairly easy to write (whoo), and you should thoroughly enjoy it! With school starting again Monday, I expect updates won't be as frequent, but never fear! As long as I have reviewers, I won't abandon any story of mine! But you have to tell me what you think, so review when you're done please! Thanks!_

Severus immediately cast a Binding Charm on the elf to keep it from traveling anywhere without direct orders and Summoned it in front of the two men.

"What are you doing here, elf?" Dumbledore rumbled, his deep voice echoing off of the no-longer-unseen cave walls. The elf trembled violently on the spot, crouching so low it was nearly prostrate before them.

"I is- I is merely following Master's orders, sirs… I is following orders…" the elf wheezed, clutching its grimy pillowcase in fear.

Severus narrowed his eyes, his wand still aimed threateningly at the pitiful creature. "And who is your master, elf?"

The old elf began to cry. "Kreacher belongs to R-Regulus Black… Kreacher is following Master's last orders…"

Dumbledore frowned. "Last orders?"

Severus nodded grimly. "Regulus Arcturus Black… Sirius Black's younger brother. He was killed for trying to leave the Death Eaters about a year before Harry was born." Hot, unbidden tears stung Severus' eyes for a moment before he rapidly blinked them away. "He was… he was the closest thing to a true friend that I had during those dreadful years." Severus smiled slightly, remembering the times he and Regulus had gone drinking after particularly horrid meetings. "I think we kept each other sane. He panicked, you see, when his training was over and the Dark Lord ordered him to torture and kill a Muggle village along with the Lestranges and Carrows. He…" Severus' eyes went wide as a horrid, too-late realization hit him.

Dumbledore peered at him sympathetically and curiously. "He what, Severus?"

Severus looked down at his hands, feeling ashamed. "I… I was the one ordered to kill him… I didn't torture him; I couldn't bear to do that to someone who had shown me kindness… Just before I cast the Killing Curse, just before he Disapparated, he told me he found out something I had to know of." He turned away from Dumbledore and the sniffling elf. "I didn't let him say what. I scared him away. Bella was right behind me, taunting him for his fear… if I had just thought to Stun her, maybe he would have told me about these Horcruxes… maybe I could have kept the Potters, at least, alive."

Dumbledore grabbed his shoulder and shook him roughly. "Don't think like that, young man! You did what you had to do, and we did everything we could to protect the Potters. _It was NOT YOUR FAULT._" He turned to Kreacher, who had since stopped crying, and stooped so that he was at the same level as the distressed elf. "Did your master Regulus say anything about a Horcrux, Kreacher?"

The elf cocked his head at the kind tone and gave the old man a steely look. Apparently deciding he could be trusted, Kreacher responded, "Master Regulus did much research before his death. Kreacher was helping. Master Regulus brought Kreacher here and… and… Master Regulus told Kreacher to switch the lockets, Master gave Kreacher a locket to put in the bottom…" The poor elf was crying openly and sniveling a lot- "Master Regulus drank nasty potion in the basin and Master tried to drink lake water but Inferi dragged him under the water… Just like- just like Dark Lord made Kreacher drink nasty potion and left Kreacher to die, but Master Regulus called Kreacher back just as the hands appeared…" Kreacher wailed loudly, his sobs reverberating off of the stone walls. "Master Regulus told Kreacher never to tell Mistress what happened, to go home and pretend nothing bad ever happened… Kreacher tried many times to destroy the locket, and Kreacher found Master Regulus' journal in Master's room but nothing Kreacher did made even a mark on the locket, and Kreacher cannot open the locket. Kreacher failed Master! Kreacher hoped nasty potion might have a clue to destroy evil locket but Kreacher does not see anything that can help… Kreacher can barely read Master's journal…"

Dumbledore and Severus looked at each other, astounded. Severus bent down to the house elf's level as well. "Kreacher, Headmaster Dumbledore and I are trying to finish Master Regulus' work. Will you give us the locket, and the journal? Your help in giving us this material would be greatly appreciated," Severus said civilly.

"They is at Master Regulus' home; Kreacher will take masters if masters will allow Kreacher." The men nodded and reached forward to take Kreacher's outstretched hands. A loud crack sounded, and the men found themselves in a dank, dark house filled with Dark artifacts.

Dumbledore peered at everything with thinly veiled disgust. "It seems the Black family was quite extravagant with their Dark ancestry," he said, walking around the kitchen they'd landed in. Kreacher scampered away while Severus looked around.

"Who is in my house?" the men heard a thin, screechy voice wail. "This is the house of my fathers, the Noble House of Black! Identify yourselves before I set the guardian of this house on you!"

Severus raced up the stairs, recognizing the voice. "Madam Walburga Black, it is I, Severus Snape, and Headmaster Albus Dumbledore," he announced before walking into the sick woman's room. "I had feared this terrible war had affected you as well,"

Walburga Black's frail form tensed at Severus' polite words. She shook under the thick covers. "Affected? My family is dead, Mr. Snape. My dear husband, and Regulus, and that other brat is as good as dead; the man does not even acknowledge he is a true Black! Oh, Mister Snape, unless you as well have a heart-wrenching story, I must believe I am worse off than you'll ever be."

Discomfited, Severus kept Dumbledore from entering the room and said, "Yes, madam. I apologize. We found your house elf out running an errand, and merely wished to return him to his family. By your leave, we'll be going soon."

"See that you do," she muttered crankily, sinking into the bedsheets. "And don't you dare think to call any mediwitches for me! I would rather die than allow some Mudblood to touch the likes of me…"

Severus made a face as he closed the door quietly behind him. "Cantankerous old woman," he muttered to Dumbledore as they made their way downstairs again. Kreacher appeared just as the men walked back into the unused kitchen and humbly presented a heavy silver locket and a ratty black journal before trudging up the stairs to tend to his mistress.

Dumbledore's eyes widened at the sight of the locket. "Severus… this is Salazar Slytherin's locket!"

Severus, however, didn't hear him. He'd just opened the journal and began thumbing through it, only to become instantly amazed at how much information Regulus Black had been able to gather before his death about Voldemort's Horcruxes.

_Tell me what you think!_


	13. Meanwhile

**Meanwhile...**

_A/N: WHOA this was an easy chapter to write! I'm so glad. Updates may not be too regular from now on with school starting... so if you need something spectacularly AWESOME to read, you have two scintillating choices: One Crazy Sunday, which has TWO new chapters, or check out my C2 collection! Quality stuff, I assure you. In the meantime, read and review! I will never abandon a well-reviewed story!_

Anna sat back, pleased. "Alright, Ms. Walsh, we're done. If you'll rinse with this fluoride solution we can get you all straightened out and ready to go home," she said, handing the teenager a small disposable cup with pink liquid inside, then peeling off the purple gloves and tossing them into the trash. The girl smiled gratefully and left, making her way to the receptionist's desk for the bill.

"Miss Gran- err, Miss Summers? You have a visitor," an assistant announced, peeking into Anna's office just after she settled in for a cup of tea between patients. Anna nodded, and nearly choked on her tea when she saw her visitor was none other than Greg, her ex-husband.

"Anna, lovely to see you," he said, sitting down across from her. "How is Hermione?"

Anna narrowed her eyes, placing the cup as gently as she could manage back onto the mahogany desk. She cleared her throat and answered, "Much better now that she can depend on her surroundings, thank you." Greg flinched slightly at the venom in her voice.

"Jesus, Anna! I stayed out; it's not like I came in staggering drunk night after night!"

"No, you preferred to just not show up at all, didn't you? And, of course, having lipstick all over your collar and smelling of women's perfume the nights that you did grace us with your presence," she spat acidly.

Greg rolled his eyes and sighed. "Look, I just want to see Hermione. She's my daughter too, you know," he pleaded, his mussed sandy hair falling into his eyes. Anna merely arched an eyebrow, giving him a look Severus would have been proud of.

"Oh, really? I seem to remember a judge saying you would only see Hermione once a month, supervised. Or did you forget how fantastically you failed the drug test?"

"But I'm clean! And I've been sending your support payments-"

"The only thing that proves is that you were able to sweet-talk the Board into letting you keep your license. You're lucky your uncle is on the Board, Dr. Granger," she sneered, crossing her arms defiantly over her modest chest. "You can see Hermione this weekend, supervised, like the judge said. Don't you ever try to see me, much less Hermione, outside of that time, else I'll have restraining orders slapped so fast your head will spin," she growled.

Greg looked at her mutinously. "You can't raise Hermione by yourself; she needs a father figure in her life and you know it!" Anna smirked.

"Then you'll be happy to know Hermione absolutely adores my new boyfriend. Now _get out._"

Fuming yet silent, Greg did as he was told, slamming the office door behind him so hard her frames rattled. Anna let out a deep breath she didn't know she'd been holding and reached for the tea again, hoping it would settle her jangling nerves.

&&&&&

"Do you want pizza or pasta for dinner, sweetheart?" Anna opened the refrigerator door expectantly.

"I want spaghetti!" Hermione bounded into the kitchen with her bookbag trailing behind her. "Can I show you what we did in school while you cook?"

Anna smiled, setting water to boil on the gas stove. "Definitely," she answered, smiling. Hermione beamed and scrambled up a barstool, plunking the bag in front of her and pulling out a neatly arranged folder.

"Miss Lowenstein helped me with my writing, and I can do all my ABCs by myself! See?" Hermione crowed, pulling out a sheet of writing paper with the ABCs written neatly in pencil on them several times. "And I counted up to one hundred without help today! Miss Lowenstein even gave me a note to give to you!" Anna took the note, praising Hermione's astounding feats.

_Dear Miss Summers, _

_As you know, Hermione has shown a lot of progress for a child her age, and she is very smart and gifted. Because of this, we would like to test her for entrance into a gifted/talented program our school recently implemented. If chosen, Hermione would attend these classes rather than regular ones, so that we ensure she is always challenged and never disinterested in school._

_I would like your answer by the end of the week._

_Thank you,_

_Miss Renee Lowenstein_

"Wow, Hermione; Miss Lowenstein wants to put you in special classes!" Anna exclaimed, smiling broadly as she added the noodles to the boiling water.

"Is it 'cause I'm a witch?" Hermione asked, peering up at Anna with big brown eyes. Anna smiled.

"No, silly, it's because you're very, very smart. Don't forget what Severus and Sirius told you about magic-"

"Don't tell anyone," they said together. Hermione giggled.

"Jinx!"

"What?"

"Jinx… you're not supposed to talk unless I say your name three times. My American friend Jenna told me about it," Hermione giggled, putting the note Anna had immediately signed back into her folder and bag. "But you broke it, so now according to Jenna you owe me a Coke,"

Anna smiled, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I suppose a cup of soda with today's dinner wouldn't be too bad…" Hermione cheered and raced upstairs to put away her school things and wash up for dinner.

As Anna prepared the sauce and meatballs, her thoughts strayed to Severus, as they always did during leisurely times. She was glad she'd been up-front about Hermione, and even happier that Severus hadn't run away screaming. The look in his eye when Harry and Hermione were shrieking in laughter on the playground had warmed her heart- neither of the children were his to even worry about, and yet for a second she'd seen such a deep love and admiration in his eyes that it was all she could do at the time to keep from launching herself at him. He was kind, yet firm; smart, yet careful to keep from boasting about it (something little Hermione would have to learn); slightly uptight, but good about relaxing when need be. And, most curious of all, he was a wizard who'd informed her that her daughter was a witch.

Anna smiled to herself as she drained the noodles and ran cold water over them. There she was, twenty-six years old and divorced, with a boyfriend (she sniggered at the thought of Severus as a _boy_friend) two years younger that constantly made her forget she wasn't a teenager, just by the way her heart pounded when she was around him. Hermione had taken to him easily after the revelation of her magic, begging him to show her simple spells and could she please, please hold his wand, just once? She positively beamed when Severus relented and taught her how to hold it so it would connect with the magical core best. She sighed wistfully, wishing she could remember all that had happened on the Knight Bus clearly.

Sometimes, she'd caught a proud gleam in Severus' eye when Hermione quickly mastered a few simple wand movements, and once he'd even smiled- smiled! At Hermione! Anna couldn't help but feel quite smug.

Hermione certainly was, and would be, a force to be reckoned with.

_A/N: It only takes two seconds... come on... I'll love you forever..._


	14. Lord Black

**Lord Black**

_A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry. My courseload is hell this year: calculus II, physics II, chemistry II. Not much time to write anymore! I won't abandon this story; show me some love and I'll squeeze in more writing time for faster updates! Enjoy!_

Sirius sat heavily on the couch, feeling winded. The piece of parchment in his hands was crumpled quickly and he watched it fall to the floor.

_Dear Mr. Black,_

_We are sorry to inform you that your mother __Walburga__ Black has passed away. __We were unable to help her, I am sorry to report, as her house-elf had been instructed not to alert anyone of her malady until she had passed. __Her will shall be read and fulfilled in two days' time__ at __Gringotts__ Room __C__and her funeral wishes are being taken care of courtesy of prior arrangements. Her funeral shall take place for family members only, at the House of Black. We express our condolences to you and yours during this difficult time._

_Madam Washburn, Head Nurse_

_St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries_

True, he hadn't thought of his mother in awhile, but even still…

She was his mother.

And she was gone.

Sirius sighed, rubbed his face, and stood to prepare dinner for himself and Harry, who should have been home from the Weasley's home fifteen minutes before.

The nearby fireplace roared, its orange flames turning green. Harry and Arthur Weasley appeared, brushing off the soot from the travel.

"I'm so sorry, Sirius; we all lost track of the time. Here, Molly sent some lasagna. I'm terribly sorry; I promise it won't happen again," Mr. Weasley said, his thinning hair unkempt. Sirius waved away the man's concerns as Harry grinned up at him and bounded into the kitchen for a snack.

"Well Harry, I suppose we'll have lasagna for dinner tonight," Sirius announced, bringing in the piping hot platter after Arthur left. "Did you have fun at the Weasley home?"

Harry nodded and smiled widely, his glasses askew. "When is Miss Summers and Hermione coming over again?"

"When _are_," Sirius corrected absently, the letter back in his hands. "I don't know. We'll have to ask Uncle Severus, I suppose. You really liked playing with Hermione, didn't you? I'm sure they'll come over again," Sirius babbled, his hands shaking slightly. His mother's will, to be honest, slightly terrified him- he certainly hadn't been the favorite, and Sirius knew his mother could be vindictive in death as well if she so chose. For all he knew, he would no longer be an official Black after the will went into effect, or his mother could have decided to get the last laugh by demanding some sort of curse be cast upon him for a number of years.

"What's wrong, Uncle Sirius?" Harry asked, grabbing the creeping cat and sitting down on the couch with her. She hissed softly, apparently not having forgotten the Play-Doh incident.

Sirius shook himself out of his darkening thoughts and suddenly wished harder than ever that Remus was right beside him. He smiled slightly at Harry. "Nothing," he finally answered. "I just have business to take care of at the bank later this week. Come on, let's get some of Molly's cooking before it gets cold."

Harry ran into the kitchen eagerly, pulling himself up onto a barstool at the breakfast nook. Sirius half-listened to Harry prattle on about his day, his mind on his mother's will and his status in the family.

&&&

"'—And to my son, the heir of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, I leave all that is rightfully his as heir. The ancestral home and all family vaults are hereby bequeathed to Sirius Orion Black, along with Heir status despite my former actions and allegations. I hereby request the line of Black is continued, preferably with a witch truly worthy of the Black name. To my other relatives—'"

Sirius sat back heavily, in shock. Narcissa Malfoy shot him a contemptuous look, and another at Andromeda Tonks, who received one hundred galleons from the Black vaults through the will. It seemed that during her time as an almost-invalid, Walburga Black had forgotten exactly who she'd blasted off the tapestry in her home, as Narcissa had not received anything but the hundred galleons in Bellatrix's name. Sirius winced slightly at the thought of an enormous portrait of his mother hanging in the entryway thanks to a Permanent Sticking Charm. Unfortunately, all he could do is request that sound-blocking curtains be installed along with the portrait, in case he decided to move in or sell the home and she spewed horrid epithets to visitors.

"'To Narcissa Black–Malfoy, I leave my blessing in leaving the horrible man you call your husband. The Death Eaters are nothing but a pack of wild monsters that took my child away from me. I hope you protect yourself, as I doubt they will show even the wife of one of their wealthiest members any mercy. In the event you do seek an annulment, I leave to you the sum of one thousand Galleons, to be gifted only in the event of complete separation from Lucius Abraxas Malfoy. The sum shall be doubled for every child present. I made a mistake allowing Regulus to join the Death Eaters. I hope you do not make the same mistake. Signed, Walburga Black, Acting Head of the House of Black.'" The Gringotts goblin placed the yellowed parchment down neatly, smoothing the wrinkles out with gnarled hands.

Narcissa was enraged. "That's it? I only get the money if I leave my husband? And how dare she imply we are allied with the Dark Lord!" The goblin leered at her.

"Not just leave, Mrs. Malfoy. You heard the will- complete separation. You must leave the marriage with no intent of going back to him in any way, else the money will stay where it is now. Madam Black was very precise in her instructions." Narcissa clenched her fists and stood abruptly, stalking out of the room without a backward glance.

Sirius looked at the wizened goblin disbelievingly. "I… well, that is…"

The goblin smirked slightly and said, "Very astute, Lord Black. If you would just sign here, below your mother's signature— Merlin rest her soul— all will be official, and you may meet with the architects, artists, and spell-weavers involved with the creation of Madam Black's portrait in Room A."

Two hours later Sirius emerged from the Leaky Cauldron, his head spinning and the newly-sized ring designating him a Noble Head of House on his right hand. He played with the heavy silver ring as he cheerily made his way back home, whistling and definitely less stressed than he'd been when he first arrived at Diagon Alley.

He strolled around Muggle London a bit before deciding he'd imposed upon the Weasley's for too long, Apparating close to the Burrow to pick up Harry and possibly, if Molly had made enough, join everyone for a hearty meal.

_Molly always did cook dinners fit for a Lord,_ he thought to himself, stepping to the front door with a cheeky smile on his face. _James and Remus would never believe this!_

Molly Weasley opened the door as soon as he knocked, and smiled widely at him. He raised his right hand and waved at her, and her eyes fell upon the heavy ring. Her eyes widened and she gasped.

"Arthur, come quick! We have a Lord over for supper!"

Sirius smiled cheekily again, making a mental note to transfer a bit of money into the Weasley boxes. _They can finally live the way they should... I could get used to this!_

With many pats on the back and pretended nobility, Sirius happily tucked in to a meal that was definitely fit for a Lord.


	15. Hufflepuff's Cup

**Hufflepuff's Cup**

_A/N: You try taking cal II, physics II, and chem II and STILL find time to write. As it turns out, I just took my cal II midterm and thankfully have nothing this weekend but my BIRTHDAY! So read and review, tell me what you think! I write faster when I know people like what they see!_

Severus' eyes were puffy and swollen from staying up nearly three entire days reading and deciphering Regulus' cramped handwriting. The small black journal barely had any free space on the pages—Regulus had filled even the margins with hurried notes and scribbles.

The fire roared green at Spinner's End as Dumbledore poked his head through, coughing from the soot. Severus rushed over and ran a ratty feather duster over the grate quickly. "Forgive me Albus; I've been so busy trying to decipher what that blasted man managed to fit into such small pages." He ran a hand over his eyes as Dumbledore pursed his lips and chided him for not taking care of himself.

"What have you been able to find, Severus?"

Severus rifled through the stacks of parchment on his desk, finding the one he was looking for. "There were five total Horcruxes, and Regulus believed they were all either artifacts from the Hogwarts founders or talismans from the identity he left behind. Here he lists a Peverell ring from the Gaunt family, Helga Hufflepuff's silver Cup of Service, and Rowena Ravenclaw's Lost Diadem of Wisdom as Horcruxes. And to think I believed Regulus a suck-up…" Severus said softly, realizing how close Regulus must have been to Voldemort to gain such knowledge. "I still have trouble believing Voldemort would spill such knowledge— do you think Regulus used listening charms?"

Dumbledore tapped his finger lightly against his lips. "It is possible, though I should think he used Kreacher after Regulus realized exactly what Tom was doing." He turned to Severus again, a quizzical expression on his face. "Did he write down any possible locations?"

Severus rifled through the pages. "He wrote down 'Gringotts' and 'Hogwarts' in the margin of this page," Severus stated, running his finger down a weathered sheet.

Dumbledore huffed slightly, turning to Fawkes with a finger extended to pet the bird. "I doubt Tom would have entrusted any of his Death Eaters with more than one Horcrux, so that eliminates Malfoy… I don't understand. He would naturally be very protective of a soul fragment; would he really entrust Gringotts? Any powerful enough wizard can get in and out of there nearly undetected. Merlin, I could go now and look at the Lestrange vaults if I wanted to!" Dumbledore joked. "It's really a matter of wealth and political influence to goblins—I wish they only didn't feel it necessary to report to the vault owners every time someone tried to gain access."

Severus pursed his lips. "Indeed. Only you would have to visit Malfoy Manor, as dear Bella willed all the wealth to her sister, remember?" Dumbledore choked on a swig of tea he'd taken, necessitating a good thump by Severus.

"The Malfoys! Do you think Bellatrix could have been safekeeping a Horcrux? That could be why everything went to Narcissa!" Dumbledore wheezed, rubbing his aging chest.

Severus' heart quickened. "She always did say Rodolphus was not one to trust with important things… Merlin, Dumbledore, I believe you're right! No one fawned over Tom they way she did; I'm sure he repaid her by telling her to safeguard something extremely valuable to him!"

Dumbledore's hands trembled slightly in anticipation as he placed them on the desk. "Then, Severus, let's go see the Malfoys."

&&&

"Severus, Headmaster Dumbledore! What a surprise… do come on In," said a surprised Lucius, stepping back to allow the two men inside as a pure-white peacock strutted behind them atop a hedge. The men stepped inside with a genial smile from Dumbledore and a quick nod from Severus. "May I ask what business brings you here?"

"Have you catalogued all of Bella's possessions? We believe another… er… thing like the diary may be amongst her vault holdings," Severus explained softly, his voice betraying a bit of his impatience. Lucius sent the usually-controlled man an odd look, and nodded curtly before walking in the direction of his drawing room, bringing up the hidden stairs and leading the two men below.

"Merlin!" Severus cradled his knee, having rammed it into a stack of ancient tomes. "_Lumos!_" The feeble-looking wandlight traveled around the dusty room, wandering over piles of Dark artifacts and glittering objects.

"What are we looking for this time?" Lucius asked conversationally, adding his wandlight to Severus' a moment after Dumbledore did.

"A cup that may have belonged to Helga Hufflepuff. History tells us that cup is the only artifact, besides the robes still owned by the Longbottom family, that has survived all this time. We believe Tom may have taken an unusual interest in it," Dumbledore answered, his uniquely bright light sweeping over gleaming treasures.

Severus' heart leaped as his wandlight fell on something small and silver, with finely-wrought handles.

Not saying anything lest he should be wrong, Severus reached out to pick it up, fervently hoping there were no leftover Dark curses he couldn't sense on the possible Horcrux.


	16. Advancing the Plan

**Advancing the Plan**

_A/N:Sorry, sorry. Again, school's picking up, and it's hard to find time to write a chapter with almost no motivation... R&R! Give me motivation!_

The cup clinked against a hideous gold necklace as Severus prodded it with his wand instead, lest a curse touch his unprotected skin. He gasped as it turned over and the sleek image of a badger exposed itself to the world. "Dumbledore—here! I found it! You were right, Bella had it!" Severus said, casting revealing spells on the cup. Deeming it harmless, he picked it up and admired the thin chain it was on. Dumbledore and Malfoy strode over, inspecting the cup lying innocently in Severus' long fingers.

"Severus, you really should put that down—"

Severus cut the blond man off. "It's fine Lucius; I cast revealing spells to make sure it wasn't cursed. One more off the list," he relished, eyeing the cup with an odd look in his eye.

Dumbledore smiled in relief. "Splendid," he sighed, lowering his wand abruptly. "Thank you very much for your time, Lucius," he added, already going up the stairs.

Lucius frowned slightly, turning to Severus. "I thought you only needed the diary? What's going on?"

Severus sighed, and decided to trust the elder man. "Tom succeeded in placing bits of his soul in different places to keep himself from dying like a mere mortal," he said, sniping harshly. "We're still trying to find all of them. The journal and this cup are both soul-containers. Horcruxes,"

Lucius looked absolutely horrified, backing away from Severus and the cup in his outstretched hand. "You're joking."

Severus gravely shook his head. "Honestly."

Lucius sat down weakly on top of a dusty trunk, looking slightly green. "Merlin! Good thing I got out when I did, then…"

Severus nodded. "He would have gone insane, eventually. You cannot be a whole person with only part of a soul."

Dumbledore nodded absently, rubbing his beard contemplatively as he looked around the room. "I believe we are done here. Thank you for allowing us to intrude once again, Lucius. Severus, are you ready?"

Severus nodded and stood, and the two men left Malfoy Manor and Apparated straight to the seaside cliff, where the historical cup was destroyed with a terrifying scream emitting from the badger with curiously glinting eyes.

&&&&

Severus stood, smirking. "Another one down," he said, inspecting the cracked Gaunt ring. Dumbledore shuffled over weakly, his energy sapped from casting the Fiendfyre spell.

Nearly a month after the Cup had been destroyed, Dumbledore paid a visit to Slughorn and talk of Tom Riddle brought Slughorn to mutter about Tom's first inquiry about Horcruxes after a Slug Club meeting. When Dumbledore asked to see the memory, Slughorn and flushed and hesitated, but relented, asking Dumbledore not too judge him too harshly if that ended up being the reason Tom existed as a wraith.

Some investigative work on Severus' part, using the journal Regulus had left behind, turned up the Gaunt house and the orphanage sites as likely hiding places, lucking out on the first try.

Severus and Anna had seen each other nearly every day since the destruction of the Cup, bonding quickly and becoming more relaxed around each other. He smiled to himself as he thought of the dinner they would be enjoying tonight at the Summers residence, and suddenly itched to leave.

"How many does that make, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.

"We've gotten the locket, the diary, the cup, and now the ring. According to this journal, we've gotten four out of six Horcruxes," Severus answered, fidgeting slightly. Scolding himself, Severus pulled a miniaturized table and two chairs out of his robe pocket, setting them on the ground and Enlarging them as Dumbledore conjured tea for them both.

After Dumbledore's color had improved, Severus insisted on Side-Along Apparating him back to Hogwarts before going out to enjoy his evening, looking forward to an evening uninterrupted—Anna had casually mentioned Hermione would be with a babysitter.

He arrived on the doorstep with a bottle of wine under one arm, feeling like a teenager again as he rang the doorbell and Anna answered with a seductive smile on her face.


	17. Years Later

**Years Later**

_A/N: Finally going to have a little more time to write. Thanks for reading; please review!_

"You wanted to see me, Uncle Sev?"

Severus rolled his eyes at the ridiculous title he'd insisted Harry not use, to Sirius' great enjoyment. "Excuse me?"

Thirteen-year-old Harry rolled his eyes impatiently. "_Professor Snape_. Honestly, I don't see why you agreed to teach. You were doing just fine brewing on your own," Harry said, looking around the office Severus had only just occupied at the start of the school year a few months before.

Severus' lips twisted wryly. "Dumbledore made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Also, it allows me to keep a closer eye on you and Draco. No one would guess you two have known each other for years by the way you bicker. Impudent brats," he answered fluidly, piercing Harry with a stern look. "Dumbledore would like to speak to you tomorrow night. I believe it concerns the connection you seem to share with Voldemort through that scar. Have you had any nightmares lately?"

Harry bit his lip, then nodded. "He—I saw him kill my parents last night," Harry admitted in a small voice, his eyes slightly wet. Severus felt a pang, and reached into a drawer and pulled a small vial out, handing it to the quivering boy.

"It's Dreamless Sleep potion. Keep practising your Occlumency—this is not a form of cheating the nightmares. You _must_ learn to block him out," Severus warned. "And, if you please, let Hermione know that it wouldn't kill her to have dinner with me every once in a while."

Harry smiled slightly. "Uncle Sev, you should know it's not _cool_ to eat with your parents when you can eat with your friends. Besides, she usually only stays in the Great Hall for about fifteen minutes before running off to the library again. Tell Aunt Anna I said hi," Harry added, leaving the office.

Severus sighed and sat back, feeling a small headache coming on as he glanced at the stack of essays on his desk waiting to be graded. He sighed and graded them quickly, anxious to get back to Spinner's End and see Anna.

An hour later the essays were graded and Severus Flooed back home, where Anna had dinner waiting. She smiled widely at him, her hand on her swelling stomach. He kissed her lovingly, wrapping his arms around the pregnant woman.

"He kicked today," she announced, her face aglow. "I really think he might be a football player—Hermione's kicks were mere taps compared to this little boy's!"

Severus smiled slightly, the skin around his eyes crinkling just enough to let Anna know it was genuine. "If that keeps him away from Quidditch, so be it—I've nearly had heart attacks watching Potter play; I don't think I could watch if it were my own son," he answered, kneading her shoulders lightly as she groaned in pleasure.

Anna continued to chatter on as she set the table, insisting on doing so alone. Severus looked around his childhood home, still amazed at the changes the years had brought. Anna had loved the 

Transfiguration of the old wallpaper and carpet, but had insisted on refinishing the salvagable wooden furniture herself and looking through Muggle magazines for the different styles of furniture she wanted Severus to Transfigure the threadbare couches to. The once-gloomy place was light and airy, yet timeless enough to satisfy Severus' tastes without a flowery print in sight.

The evening passed quietly, just as Severus preferred, until the fireplace he was contemplatively gazing into roared higher and turned green. Anna flinched in surprise, still unused to what she viewed as odd communication. Severus straightened his robes as Dumbledore's head appeared in the fire, looking grim.

"I'm so sorry to trouble you, Severus, but there has been an… incident. I believe you would rather deal with this one yourself," Dumbledore said regretfully, nodding a greeting to Anna.

Severus sighed and stood, pulling on his outer robe and promising Anna he'd be home soon as he stepped into Dumbledore's office through the Floo.

Two pairs of guilty eyes stared back across the desk, and Severus sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Professor Sprout found them walking around the third floor," Dumbledore said. "If you would rather move to your office, I understand."

Severus' lips tightened and he nodded sharply to the Headmaster, stalking out of the office rapidly, listening to make sure the two students followed. After a silent trip to his office, he directed the students to two uncomfortable-looking wooden chairs in front of his desk, sitting behind it heavily. "Who's first?" he said, eyeing the students.

"It's my fault, Unc—Professor," Harry answered contritely, staring at his knees. "I found a room that Hermione said wasn't in _Hogwarts, A History_ and we wanted to explore it. I figured I'd be safer with Hermione there because she knows Defense better than I do."

Hermione tugged on her frizzed locks, biting her quivering lip. "Sorry," she whispered.

Severus was intruiged. "You found a room? What was in it?"

Harry shrugged. "It looked like a room of random items. I was trying to—er, I was trying to hide my Fanged Frisbee when I found it," he answered.

Suspecting Harry meant the Room of Requirement, he stood and said, "Show me."

Amazed they weren't in much trouble, the students stood and scurried off to the third floor corridor, followed by their Potions professor.


End file.
